Montreal Beaches 2017 Dates and Rates

Discover Montreal's Beaches, All Four of Them

••• Nino H. Photography / Getty Images

Montreal isn't exactly known for its beaches—swim-friendly waterfronts are not as common as public swimming pools—but there's still a quartet of sand spots to visit located within city limits, three of which are accessible with public transit.

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02 of 05

Montreal Beaches 2017: Plage Doré

••• Stacy Gold / Getty Images

Located on Île Notre-Dame, one of two man-made islands that make up Parc Jean-Drapeau, Plage Doré du Parc Jean-Drapeau really does the trick on a hot and humid day. A great place to conclude an active summer day of walking, picnicking, dancing, roller coastering, gambling and sight-seeing around the multi-purpose park, this is the easiest beach to get to in Montreal.

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03 of 05

Montreal Beaches 2017: The Clock Tower Beach

••• Kasia Baumann / Getty Images

The latest addition to Montreal's handful of beaches is the Montreal Clock Tower Beach, 1.3 hectares (3.2 acres) of urban getaway in Old Montreal's Old Port, a place where locals and visitors can wet themselves by the misting stations and then lounge in the sun or under a parasol in the comfort of a long chair. The view is fairly choice in that area too. There's just one thing. It's swim-free. But talks are in the works to change that. With any luck, a harbour bath will be built in time for the city of Montreal's 375th anniversary in 2017.

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04 of 05

Montreal Beaches 2017: Cap St. Jacques

••• Photo by Flickr user abdallahh

Perhaps best known as the other Montreal beach, Cap St. Jacques is Montreal's largest park, a whopping 288 hectares (712 acres) of silver birch and maple woods, fields and farmland with a sliver of beachfront. As far as city beaches go, Cap St. Jacques doesn't feel remotely urban, a suitable antidote for weary car-less city-dwellers in dire need of refuge. Just be ready to sacrifice anywhere from 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours of subway and bus travel plus about 20 minutes of dirt road walking to get there. And try to make it on a weekday to beat the crowds because people tend to pile up on that patch of sand.

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05 of 05

Montreal Beaches 2017: Bois-de-l'Île-Bizard

••• Jan Heller Photography / Getty Images

Bois-de-l'Île-Bizard is a haven, one of my favorite places to be in all of Montreal. But it's a trek and then some to get there without a car. Factor in two hours of public transit followed by a 40-minute hike -or consider cycling- to get to the park. But once you're on the boardwalk, taking in the cattails and marshland, you tend forget the trouble you went through to make it to the small island sandwiched between Montreal and its northern metropolitan cousin, Laval. The beach itself is a natural sight for sore, urban-weary eyes, the ideal staycation destination.